Medical procedures may involve accessing and visualizing an internal region of a patient for diagnostic or therapeutic purposes. Endoscopy, for example, may include accessing and visualizing the inside of a patient's lumen (e.g., airways). As another example, laparoscopy may include accessing and visualizing an internal cavity of a patient. During a procedure, a medical instrument such as, for example, a scope, may be inserted into the patient's body and an instrument can be passed through the scope to a tissue site identified for diagnosis and/or treatment.
In some instances, the medical instrument can include an elongated shaft (or an elongated body generally) that is steerable or articulable so as to navigate an interior region of the patient. In some instances, the medical instrument can be robotically controlled.